


Capture It

by tattooedpiecesofyou



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Fluff and Angst, M/M, dramastudent!Louis, filmstudent!Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-10
Updated: 2013-01-19
Packaged: 2017-11-25 01:14:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/633522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattooedpiecesofyou/pseuds/tattooedpiecesofyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is a freshman at NYU with a passion for film and a desire to make movies like the ones he’s spent his entire life admiring. He’s just a bit antisocial, a tad innocent, and entirely out of his element. When he joins a program for other creative types he doesn’t expect to be completely overwhelmed by the boy who runs it, but that’s exactly what happens. Louis is a jaded and exhausted drama student who doesn’t really know who he is anymore. Something about him gets to Harry and suddenly he can’t get the boy with the empty blue eyes out of his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving In

**Author's Note:**

> So here’s a new Larry Stylinson fic! When this popped into my head I knew I just had to run with it. I’m really excited about this one and I hope you’ll all like it! I’m still not sure about the title. I was torn between this and Look Into My Eyes, so let me know if you like that title better! This first chapter isn’t all that exciting, but it gives a look at Harry and sets things up. Also, I don’t know that much about NYU but I looked a lot of things up, so I’m sorry if I got any details wrong, Anyways, If you like it, please please give me some feedback, it would honestly make my day!

Harry has always been passionate about film. He still remembers the first movie he ever saw, though most would argue he was much too young to remember such a trivial detail. But that’s just the thing. For Harry it isn’t trivial at all. No, it is very, very important. While all the other children were talking about seeing The Lion King, Harry’s first film was something very different. 

He was just four years old when his older sister Gemma was sitting in their living room talking on the phone loudly with a film playing in the background. It was Pulp Fiction, which to this day is still one of his very favorite movies. Of course he had no idea what was going on when he saw it for the first time, but something about it struck a chord inside him, even back then. 

He’s always viewed movies differently than everyone else. They’re not just merely a form of entertainment or something to watch while bored. For Harry, they are a gateway to a different realm. A way to escape your mundane and predictable life for a few hours, in favor of something much more intricate and thrilling. From the very beginning of the opening credits, to the end where the names zoom down the screen at a pace that resembles the speed of light, Harry is captivated. He decided at a very young age that he wanted to make a film of his own one day. He wanted to learn every technique, term, and detail there was to know about the world of film and he wanted to perfect it. Harry Styles was determined to make film his life. 

When he was thirteen, his mum bought him his first camcorder. It was a cheap little thing and wasn’t of the best quality, that’s for sure, but it was Harry’s most prized possession. He took it with him everywhere he went. To the park, to school, he even brought it with him to the dentist. If Harry was around, so was his precious video camera. When he was sixteen he managed to save up enough to buy himself a professional one. He researched the different brands and types for months, pinpointing the best kind to make quality movies. Once he finally decided on one he printed out a picture and taped it to the ceiling of his bedroom as a constant reminder to work hard and save up as much as he could. After months working in a tiny little bakery for hours on end, Harry finally managed to get that camera. And from there everything sort of just fell into place. He devoted all of his time to film, preferring to spend his time alone with his video camera than out with nonexistent friends. Anne worried that he was a recluse and Gemma called him antisocial, but Harry didn’t pay any attention to them. Interacting with people wasn’t nearly as interesting as interacting with his video camera. He was comfortable studying film and creating movies, but he was far from comfortable anywhere else. People made him nervous and he was pretty sure he had social anxiety, so really, why put himself through any unnecessary trauma. 

All his time with his camera must have been worth it, though, because he was accepted to all the best film schools in the world. After thoroughly researching the best places to study, Harry made it his goal to be good enough to be accepted to one of those prestigious organizations. Applications were sent out to UCLA, NYU, AFI, Columbia, and La Femis, as well as a few that certainly weren’t as good but were necessary fallbacks in case he was rejected by the best. While making films has always been his passion, he’s not exactly confident in his skills, not yet anyways. And maybe that will come over time, or maybe it won’t, because Harry just isn’t the type to acknowledge how truly talented he is. 

When the acceptance letters finally came in Harry was shocked to see he had gotten in to every single school. His mother had cried and told him how proud she was of him while his cheeks flushed a brilliant red and bit back the smile that threatened to split his face in two. He never let himself believe he would get into even one school, so five of the best film schools in the world, well that was a bit overwhelming. It takes him weeks to decide on one, but when he does he knows he’s made the right choice. He can feel it deep in his bones. He was made for New York City. 

After months of anxiously waiting and nervously over thinking every little detail, the day finally comes. His mum drives him to Heathrow and drops him off with his two huge suitcases that she kept slipping random items into hours before they left the house. She makes a big scene at the gate, tears running down her cheeks while she grips on to Harry as if he is about to go fight in a war or something as equally terrifying and dramatic. Honestly, this isn’t some cheesy film, he thinks with red cheeks and an embarrassed smile. When he finally manages to escape he leaves her with a kiss on the cheek and a small wave before making his way to his gate alone. All alone.

And once he’s on the plane, sitting next to an elderly American woman who keeps staring at his brown curls in disdain, that’s when it all actually hits Harry. He’s really doing this. It’s actually happening. He’s going to school in America. What the hell had he been thinking when he agreed to this?

Eight hours later he’s in a stereotypical bright yellow taxi cab and it sort of feels like he’s in one of the movies he loves so much. He has his forehead pressed up against the dirty window, his eyes constantly moving as he tries to absorb as much of Manhattan as he possibly can. After what feels like ages he sees the banners for NYU hanging from the light posts and the nerves take hold of him all of a sudden, like a steel grip on his windpipe, making it hard to breathe, much less actually get out of the cab. Somehow he manages to pull himself together, get all of his bags, and tip the driver. American money confuses the hell out of him, so he just hands the man what he thinks is thirty dollars and then he’s on his way. The campus is huge, right in the heart of the city, with stale air, garbage on the streets, and people pushing past with glares and muttered curse words. It probably shouldn’t be a beautiful sight to him, but god it really, really is. He circles the entire campus twice before he finds the building that will be his home for the next four years. It’s a huge brick building that must be at least ten stories high, if not more. It is certainly very different from the quaint little houses he was used to in Cheshire, England, and it seems as if everything around him is serving as a reminder that he definitely isn’t home anymore. 

As soon as he walks through the automatic doors Harry is greeted by a boy with a buzz cut who appears to only be a year or two older than him. He’s holding a clipboard in his hand, wearing a bright purple NYU t-shirt, and looks entirely too excited. 

“Hi there! Welcome to Hayden Hall!” the boy says, thrusting his hand out to Harry with a huge grin on his lips. 

Harry isn’t used to being the center of anyone’s attention and drops his gaze to the floor before shaking the boys hand briefly and muttering a soft “hi” in reply.

The boy’s smile softens into one that looks like it could be understanding of some sort and he uses a gentler tone when he speaks again. “I’m Liam Payne, one of the Resident Assistants here in Hayden. Can I have your name please?” He looks at Harry for a moment longer before dropping his gaze to his clipboard.

“Harry. Harry Styles,” Harry replies, his gaze still on the floor. 

Liam runs his finger up and down the paper as he tries to find Harry’s name, his grin widening when he finally sees it. “Found you! Okay, Harry. It says here you signed up to be in the Artists In Development program, so that means you’re on the seventh floor.” Liam then looks up from the paper and gives Harry a look that clearly says he is brimming with excitement for some reason Harry can’t really understand. “My best mate is actually the Community Leader for AID. He lives at the end of your floor so I’m sure you’ll see him around all the time. And I live on the floor just above you.” Liam then walks over to the desk and gets a swipe card and a key that are attached to a purple NYU lanyard. He has a bunch of brochures and papers in his hand as well and sort of just throws that all at Harry before heading in the opposite direction. Harry just stands there for a moment, not sure what he’s supposed to do and feeling completely overwhelmed, when Liam glances over his shoulder and motions for Harry to follow him.

They take the elevator up to the seventh floor and Liam talks pretty much nonstop, rattling off details about the building. Harry’s mind is filled with so many facts – the building has a dining hall, game room, exercise room, study lounge, piano room, and TV lounge and there’s all kinds of emergency exits and other things he didn’t quite catch – that he isn’t sure how he’s supposed to remember everything. As they reach the floor and walk towards his room, Harry keeps his head down, avoiding the eyes of all the people who are rushing past, their arms loaded down with boxes as they try to finish moving in. Liam comes to an abrupt stop and Harry catches himself right before he bangs into his shoulder, a bit startled as he hesitantly picks his gaze up from the floor and looks at the door in front of him. It’s a simple wooden door with the number 710 on it. “Well, here’s your room. You’re in a triple suite, which means there are three of you in this room and you share one bathroom. I don’t think your roomies have checked in yet, which means you get first pick of the beds, so that’s a plus. I’ll leave you to get all settled in, but if you need anything at all, I’m in room 808 right above you!” Liam gives him a little salute and a wide smile before hurrying off in the opposite direction. 

Now that he’s alone it’s really starting to sink in that this is actually happening. Harry is actually in America, New York City of all places, and he’s about to move in to his very own dorm room. The thought that he is very far from home hits him once again, but he tries not to dwell on that, knowing it will just make everything harder to handle. Drawing in a deep breath he unlocks the door, picks up his bags, and makes his way inside. 

His first thought is that it’s much bigger than he expected it to be. The walls are a blinding shade of white and the room is completely bare except for three beds, three desks, and three dressers. Two of the beds are in the corners of the room, next to the big window, and the other is pressed against the far wall. The desks are next to each of the beds while the dressers are lined up in a row next to the wall that has three separate closets. After thinking it over for only a split second Harry throws his stuff on the bed on the far wall, thinking it will give him a bit more privacy and allow him to have as much of his own space as he can get in a shared room. He spends about thirty minutes getting everything all set up and when he’s done he stands back to survey his work. The wall next to his bed is completely covered in classic movie posters. It had taken him ages to pick which films he wanted to showcase on his walls, and even longer to figure out the placement of them. His bedding is blue and green striped and he has a picture of himself, Gemma, and his mum right on his bedside table than that. Other than that the room is pretty boring but it actually kind of feels like his and that’s all that really matters at that point. He’s just finishing putting everything in the bathroom when he hears the door burst open and loud laughter. Alarmed, he rushes out of the bathroom and stops short when he sees a blond boy with bright blue eyes. Next to him is a boy with tan skin and ridiculous hair. The two are glancing around the room when their eyes land on Harry. He feels himself shrink into himself and he’s about to turn right around and lock himself in the bathroom for a few minutes or maybe even a few days when the blond when waves enthusiastically at him. “Alright, mate?” he asks, an unmistakable Irish accent accompanying his words. Harry actually manages to keep his head up as he replies with a quiet “Yeah good, thanks. You?” 

“Brilliant now that we’re finally in America! I’m Niall and this is Zayn,” he says, jerking his thumb at the boy standing next to him. The boy in question nods his head and calls out a “hey.” 

Harry feels awkward but tries to act as if he doesn’t want to just disappear after not even a minute of conversation. If he’s going to be living with these two for the next year he has to at least try to get used to this. 

“So uh, I’m guessing you guys already know each other then?” he asks because it’s the only thing that comes to his mind and he has to at least try to get to know them. 

“Yeah. Ni and I went to boarding school together in London and we’re best mates. We’re glad to have someone else rooming with us though. If it was just us two together I think I’d strangle him,” Zayn replies, laughing loudly as Niall elbows him indignantly. 

They start to set up their things and get all settled in after that and Harry just sits on his bed and watches. Small talk is made and as the minute’s tick by Harry actually finds himself begin to relax. He’s still not fully comfortable, mainly because he isn’t alone, but he’s not as nervous or anxious as he was at the beginning. Something about his new roommates makes him think that this whole living situation will actually be okay. He can see himself getting along with them really well and while that’s shocking, it’s also oddly exciting in a way. 

After a few hours of getting all settled in and getting to know one another, Harry learns that Niall is a music student and Zayn is studying photography. He’s glad that he’d been paired with other creative types, though he’s not exactly sure why. Something about it is just comforting to him in a way he can’t quite explain. In the middle of their conversation a loud knock sounds on the door, interrupting Niall mid laugh. Zayn gets up and makes his way to the door while Niall peers out excitedly and Harry looks out the corner of his eye in a more timid manner. 

“Hi there!” The voice is slightly high-pitched but something about it makes Harry turn his head, and when he does it’s like he’s frozen in place. His eyes widen as he takes in the sight in front of him and he suddenly wishes he had kept his gaze trained on the floor as usual. As his eyes take in the caramel colored hair (complete with fringe because apparently someone out there is trying to kill Harry), piercing blue eyes, and bright red pants that definitely don’t cling to the boy’s hips and thighs in all the right places, the first thought Harry has is that there is no way this boy is actually real. Because honestly, since when do people actually look like that? If this is what America has in store for him then he really doesn’t know how he’s expected to survive. 

He manages to tune into the conversation in time to hear the boy say his name is Louis (Louis, Louis, God that’s a perfect name, Louis, echoes on a loop in Harry’s head, though he tries his best to ignore it) and that he’s the head of Artists In Development (or AID as everyone seems to call it). “I hear all of you are signed up for it, so I just thought I’d drop by and let you know we have an introductory meeting at 8 tonight in the TV lounge. I’ll let you get back to settling in and all that, but I hope to see you later!” 

And with that the boy is gone and Harry is left a bit mystified. He’s not sure what it is about the boy that seemed to catch his attention. Maybe it was the way his voice was full of enthusiasm but his eyes were dead. In the brief moment that Harry actually let their eyes meet he saw something missing in them. There was no spark, only blankness, as if the boy wasn’t all there. But he had seemed happy enough, even enthusiastic, so it didn’t exactly add up. But Harry knew what he saw and it only made the boy that much more fascinating. And though he planned on sitting in the back with his head down Harry was suddenly very excited for the meeting later that night.


	2. Interesting Developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry is a freshman at NYU with a passion for film and a desire to make movies like the ones he’s spent his entire life admiring. He’s just a bit antisocial, a tad innocent, and entirely out of his element. When he joins a program for other creative types he doesn’t expect to be completely overwhelmed by the boy who runs it, but that’s exactly what happens. Louis is a jaded and exhausted drama student who doesn’t really know who he is anymore. Something about him gets to Harry and suddenly he can’t get the boy with the empty blue eyes out of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! If you've left kudos on this fic so far or bookmarked it I love you. I have a tumblr - keepcalmandl0velarry.tumblr.com - where I give information on updates and answer questions on the fic, etc. I'd love for you to follow me, but only if you want to.

They’re walking down the hall, Zayn, Niall, and himself, with a whole group of people and Harry’s got his head tucked down and he’s got a beanie on that’s almost covering his eyes, which is kind of the point. He’s got his hands stuffed into the pocket of his oversized hoodie and he’s trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. It would be working a lot better if he didn’t have Niall right beside him. He’s only known the boy a few hours and already it’s clear that Niall has no problem with attention. He’s loud and full of energy and doesn’t even bat an eye when all eyes turn to him. Harry’s a bit envious of him, really. He wishes he were okay with attention. Wishes that it didn’t make his skin itch and tingle in a way that made him want to flee the room and be alone for a few hours. He used to wish he wasn’t so quiet too, but he’s been living with himself for eighteen years now and that’s more than enough time to realize that some things just aren’t going to change. 

When they enter the lounge Harry is a bit amazed by how big it is. But then again everything does seem to be pretty huge in New York. He’s not sure if that’s just an American thing, but it probably is if the amount of food he got in the airport is anything to go by. He follows Niall and Zayn over to some seats in the middle of the room, thankful that they hadn’t chosen to sit front and center. 

Niall turns to him, his eyes bright and his smile wide. “So Harry, you never told us what you’re here for.” 

Harry smile because this is something he can actually talk about. One of the only things he’s comfortable talking about, really. “Film,” he replies, his voice a bit louder than it had been the previous times he had spoken to Niall and Zayn. “I’m a film major. That’s actually really weird saying that out loud. I’ve dreamed of being one my whole life but I guess I never actually thought it would happen. So yeah, it’s kind of surreal.” He blushes a bit when he realizes he’d given out a few more details than he had meant to, but Zayn’s looking at him in a way that he thinks is understanding so he doesn’t feel all that concerned about it. 

“I know what you mean, mate,” Niall replies, nodding his head. “I’ve been dreamin’ of being able to actually study music for ages now. It’s cool that I’ll finally get to. Zayn’s the same way,” he adds, nudging his best mate with his shoulder. “He probably won’t admit it, though. Doesn’t match with his cool, mysterious vibe he’s got going on.”

Zayn sticks up his middle finger and gives Niall an unimpressed look. “I have no problem admitting I’m excited, you twat. The city’s a great place for photography. Lots of inspiration and all that, or so I’ve heard.”

It suddenly makes sense that they’re all living on the same floor. Everyone on the seventh floor is in AID, and in order to be it you have to be a creative type. Harry doesn’t know all that much about the program yet, just that it’s for students studying the arts who want to learn more about it and gain experience. As soon as he’d heard that he’d signed up, after worrying about the social aspect of it for ages, of course. But it was too good of an opportunity to pass up so he figured he’d just deal with everything else that came with it. 

A shrill, piercing whistle cuts through the air and everyone – there’s about forty other people in the room Harry thinks – whips around to find the source of it. Harry takes a few moments longer to lift his head up but when he does he’s met with that devastating sight once again. This is the second time he’s seen the boy today and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to the way just a glimpse of him makes him seize up and wish he could just curl in upon himself. Those eyes are still so blank despite the wide grin on the boy’s lips and really, is Harry the only one that notices this? It’s so glaringly obvious to him, so contradictory, that he’s surprised others aren’t as fascinated by it as he is. He realizes he’s still staring and that the boy has begun to talk so he quickly ducks his head once again, knowing that looking at him would mean he would absorb none of the information the meeting is going to cover. 

“Alright, so! Welcome to Artists in Development! You’ll never hear us call it that though, because really AID just sounds a lot better. I’m Louis Tomlinson and this lovely person standing next to me is Eleanor Calder.” Harry hears a tinkling laugh that sounds more like nails on a chalkboard and lifts his gaze for just a moment to see a tall, thin girl with brown hair and a nose that is entirely too big for her face. Something about her just irritates Harry and he’s not sure what it is, but it definitely doesn’t have to do with the way she’s standing just a little to close to Louis. Definitely not. 

I’ll start off by introducing myself. Let’s see…Well you already know my name’s Louis. Or Tommo if you like that better. I’m a junior majoring in theatre. My focus for this semester is acting for the screen, as I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on acting for the stage and want to explore film acting a bit more.” If Harry wasn’t paying attention before he’s definitely focused on the words coming out of Louis’ mouth now. “I’m from England, which you can probably tell based on my accent. I moved here to try to get on Broadway, but you know, that’s the typical story you’ll hear around this place, so.” Harry watches as Louis shrugs his shoulders and plasters a smile on to his face. It’s not genuine and that emptiness is still in his eyes. Harry thinks maybe that last part of his introduction has something to do with it. But really, he doesn’t know anything about the boy yet, so speculation is probably pointless. He tunes back in just in time to hear Louis finishing up his little speech. “I, along with Eleanor, am the head of AID this year, which I’m really excited about. It’s a really fun program and we’re doing something a little different this time around, so I hope you all like it as much as we think you will.” 

Harry doesn’t even bother to listen to Eleanor introduce herself. He hears her mention something about dance before he chooses to spend the rest of his time staring at Louis. Well, not staring exactly. He wouldn’t be so bold to just blatantly gaze at the boy, so he opts for sneaking glances at him out of the corner of his eye. He’s not sure why he’s so interested in this person he doesn’t even know. People normally never catch his interest, at least not like this.

He continues his sneaky little glances for a few more moments before Louis begins to speak again. 

“Alright! Now it’s time for all of you to introduce yourselves. Let’s just go around the room and you can tell us your name, where you’re from, and what you’re majoring in. We’ll keep it simple for now since it’s still your first day here and all. Let’s start with you.” Louis points to a girl with bright red hair and from there the introductions move pretty quickly. By the time Niall beings speaking Harry is pretty sure he’s hyperventilating. He’s never been good at this whole ice breaker thing and he hates speaking in front of a group. He’s not even good with a few people, let alone thirty kids who are staring at him expectantly. Before long it’s his turn and running out of the room is looking like a pretty good option, but before he can pick himself up from his chair an amused voice fills the room. 

“You gonna tell us who you are, Waves?” Harry scrunches his nose up in confusion and slowly lifts his head up from the floor to meet Louis’ gaze. 

“Waves?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper. Honestly it’s a miracle he managed to even speak. They should give him a gold star or something. 

“Yeah,” Louis nods, gesturing to Harry’s hair. “Your hair is curly, I know. But curly seems so unoriginally and it is wavy too, is it not? I don’t know your name yet, since you haven’t said it, so I settled for Waves.” 

Harry feels an odd sort of tightness in his chest at the explanation. He’s never really had a nickname before, unless you count the period of time when he was four and five and his mum insisted on calling him pumpkin. And to be fair, he figures Waves is a whole lot better than pumpkin. 

“O-oh,” Harry replies, internally cursing himself for stuttering already. He was hoping to at least manage a sentence or two before the nervous stutter set in. Drawing in a deep breath he tries to just get this little introduction over with. “I’m Harry. H-Harry Styles,” he drops his gaze back to the floor and fiddles with his fingers. If he’s expected to talk about himself there’s no way in hell he’s going to do it while looking at all the eyes that are trained on him. Plus he thinks he’ll manage not to stumble over his words if he doesn’t have to make eye contact. “I’m from England and I’m going to be studying film.” His introduction is probably the shortest out of all of them, but it’s also the only one that earns a “Well it’s very nice to meet you, Waves,” from Louis, so Harry figures it wasn’t too terrible. And if that little reply causes his breathing to pick up a little bit it’s just a coincidence or something. He can probably blame it on his anxiety. 

“Okay, now it’s time to tell you what AID actually is. I’m assuming most of you probably know at least a little bit about it if you signed up, but part of my job is making sure you understand all the basics, so just bear with me.” Louis glances down at a piece of paper in disinterest before letting his eyes scan the faces before him. “Okay so I’m supposed to read to you the official description or whatever,” Louis says, rolling his eyes and putting our quotes around the word official. He clears his throat in an overly dramatic way before looking down at the paper again. “Artists In Development is about personal growth, extending social and business networks and developing technique in the art world of New York City. It is a community in which serious like-minded persons interested in any art form (dance, film, photography, music, drama, etc.) get together and collaborate, share information and helpful tips about the “biz”, participate in fun workshops around the city and at the end of the semester, produce a showcase.” Louis then tosses the paper to the side and hops up on the table at the front of the room, sitting at the edge of it and swinging his feet back and forth. “So basically that makes it sound like the most boring thing on the planet but I swear it’s not.” Eleanor lets out a loud laugh and Harry can’t be the only one that thinks she’s trying way too hard. He hasn’t been oblivious to the way she keeps staring at Louis, twirling her hair around her finger and biting her lip. Honestly, is she even trying to be subtle? Louis begins speaking again and Harry’s actually grateful because he doesn’t want to waste another second thinking about some girl he could care less about. “We talk about different aspects of the arts, with a more in-depth focus on the ones you all are interested in, have loads of guest speakers, and take some really cool trips on the weekends. And we’ve decided to start a new thing for our showcase. Each of you will get a partner, someone with a different major than you, and the two of you will work together for the entire semester to come up with a piece that incorporates both of your interest areas. So if Eleanor and I were partners, we would work together all semester long to come up with a piece that has both dance and acting in it, and then we would perform it together at the end of the semester. We think it’ll be a good way for you to get to know someone knew very well, and it’ll also help you expand your interest and all that. We’re going to tell you who your partners are in just a second.” 

Louis then turns away from the group, shuffling through some papers while he talks to Eleanor about something. Harry’s head is spinning as he tries to process all of this new information. A showcase at the end of the semester? That means a whole group of people will have to see something that he made. Harry has never let anyone see any of his films and he didn’t plan on starting now. Well, that’s not exactly true. Obviously he had to submit a few short films and various clips for his application, but that was different. He wasn’t there while everyone watched them. He didn’t have to feel exposed and vulnerable and utterly judged. He knew that’s exactly how he would feel during the showcase and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. And the thought of being paired up with a stranger definitely wasn’t appealing in the slightest. Harry wasn’t too bad in one on one situations. Most of the time he loosened up and managed to talk a bit, after some time. But this would be different. He would be expected to work with someone he didn’t even know. To create art with them and let them experience how he was creatively. Harry doesn’t want anyone to see the way he was when he made a film. He doesn’t want that side to him exposed for some random person to see. He’s considering just leaving the meeting and sending an email later saying he doesn’t think AID is for him when Eleanor’s voice cuts through the room. 

“Okay we’re going to tell you who your partners are now!” She then starts reading off a list, droning out name after name. Harry watches the reactions on the faces around him. Zayn’s paired with some guy named Nick who looks a little bit too old to be in University – or college as the Americans seemed to call it – but hey, Harry isn’t really one to judge. Niall seems to be particularly pleased with his partner. Harry’s pretty sure she said her name was Lindy and she has purple streaks in her hair and is wearing those glasses with the thick black frames. Harry thinks she looks kind of terrifying, but Niall has this look in his eye that shows that he thinks she’s pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. To each his own. 

Harry snaps back to attention when he realizes that Eleanor has read all of the names, but failed to mention Harry. He’s about to just slip out unnoticed, figuring this will save him the trouble of having to send an email, when Louis’s voice causes him to glance in the boy’s direction. Harry freezes when he notices his eyes are already on him, but for some reason he can’t tear his eyes away. It’s the first time he’s made direct eye contact with him, and it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, except for the fact that eye contact isn’t really something Harry does. 

“And my partner,” Louis starts, his eyes still trained on Harry’s, “is Harry Styles.” 

Harry immediately snaps out of whatever sort of trance he had been in before and drops his gaze to the floor, pulling his beanie further down over his head. He’s not exactly sure what he feels in that moment, his thoughts are a huge jumbled mess. All he really knows is that Louis is his partner. Which means the boy with the empty eyes who has already managed to fascinate him will have to be a sort of constant in his life. At least he will have to be for the next five months. He’s not sure how he’s supposed to deal with that. How can he expected to actually work with the guy if he can’t even hold his gaze for more than a few seconds? 

He completely misses whatever is said next, lost in thoughts of Louis and cold eyes and a million different ways things could play out. It’s not until he’s back in his room and the meeting is over that he realizes he doesn’t know when he’s supposed to see Louis next or what’s going to happen from here on out. And the most terrifying part of it all is that he finds he actually wants to see Louis again. Oh boy.


	3. Unclear Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry is a freshman at NYU with a passion for film and a desire to make movies like the ones he’s spent his entire life admiring. He’s just a bit antisocial, a tad innocent, and entirely out of his element. When he joins a program for other creative types he doesn’t expect to be completely overwhelmed by the boy who runs it, but that’s exactly what happens. Louis is a jaded and exhausted drama student who doesn’t really know who he is anymore. Something about him gets to Harry and suddenly he can’t get the boy with the empty blue eyes out of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! I really hope you guys like it, as it focuses on Louis instead of Harry. Any and all feedback would be absolutely amazing. Also, if you haven't seen it yet, I posted a new fic on here called Broken Promises, and I'd love for you to check it out. xxx

It’s only nine o’clock at night and Louis is already exhausted. It’s the kind of tired that comes from a long day of plastering a smile on your face and faking excitement that just isn’t there anymore. It’s an exhaustion he’s all too familiar with these days, a sort of feeling that had settled itself into his bones months ago and refused to leave. 

He knows he should actually be excited. It’s a new year, time for a fresh start. It’s a chance to reinvent himself, journey down a new path, be whoever he wants to be. Or so Liam says. But Louis learned a long time ago that Liam is some sort of eternal fortune cookie so the things he says can only ever be taken with a grain of salt. 

The day hadn’t been all that bad, really. He had met way too many new people to count and the hallways had been complete and utter chaos, but he also got to lead AID for the first time, so that’s a plus. Or at least it should be. It really should be. Louis had wanted to lead the program since he was just a wide-eyed, naïve little freshman, and his wish had actually come true. For once Louis had gotten something he wanted. But the problem is Louis definitely isn’t the same person he had been when he wanted to run the group, and while he is still excited about it – or as excited as he can be about anything these days – he just doesn’t have any passion left in him. And really, that’s what AID is all about. It’s a chance to explore the one subject you are more passionate about than anything else in this world. So in reality someone else should be running it. Someone other than a boy who can’t even remember why he started acting in the first place. 

Sure he has Eleanor there by his side, which helps. At least one of them is still excited about their area of study. But then again, why wouldn’t she be? Eleanor is an even better dancer now than she had been when Louis first met her at the beginning of freshman year, and she’d had so much success it was a bit ridiculous. She wasn’t turned down at every audition she went to, plagued by judgments and stereotypes she just didn’t fit. No, that was just Louis. Just the rundown actor who looked too “feminine” to ever be a star on Broadway. 

He can still remember the first time he realized New York wasn’t all he thought it would be. He was eighteen and eager to get out there and start auditioning. He had just been accepted to one of the best theater programs in the entire world, his professors seemed to love him, and really, the world was his oyster. Or so he had thought. But like anything else, reality had to slap him in the face sooner or later. It was his first major audition and he walked into it confident and self-assured. He’d been acting for as long as he could rememberl, it was the only thing he ever felt good at, the only thing he ever truly wanted. Acting was his life, so of course he had to get the part. But then auditions were over and the director – a big guy with graying hair, a thick, bushy mustache, and mean eyes – called him over. Louis remembers being thrilled. The director actually wanted to speak to him! Oh how stupid he had been back then. He still remembers the words like they were spoken to him yesterday. It’s not really something he can forget, not when it’s had such a big impact on the person he is now, two years later. 

“Listen kid. I’m gonna give you some advice so you don’t waste your time. You’re just not cut out for this business. You’re not a bad actor, in fact you’re pretty decent. But it’s not just about talent. It’s about the look and the persona. A gay boy who looks way too much like a lady is never gonna get a starring role. In fact, you’ll be lucky if you ever even get a part as an extra.”

That was when Louis first starting dealing with the judgment. Well, maybe not the first time. Sure, back home in England when he was in school there was the occasional teasing comment from his classmate, but it had never mattered all the much to him. So what if he looked or dressed gay? He knew who he was and that was all that mattered. But then that audition, and plenty more failed ones after it, happened and Louis learned that appearance and first impressions mean everything. For a long time he kept trying. A career in theater was all he had ever wanted and he refused to just give up after a few failed attempts and harsh words. He did everything he could think of to make himself appear more straight. He wasn’t, of course. He had known he was gay since he was thirteen and realized David Beckham got his heart racing in a way that Angelina Jolie just couldn’t. But he could pretend. He could force himself to look, act, and even be straight if it meant he could finally achieve his dreams. So he flirted with loads of girls, pushed his brightly colored trousers to the back of his closet, and attempted to model himself off of all the guys who actually managed to land roles. The ones who weren’t only suited for shows that had a mostly gay cast. He’s been keeping up the whole charade for over a year now – repressing who he really is in the process- and well, at least it shows how good of an actor he can be. Because he knows he’s not being true to himself – that’s pretty much painfully obvious – but if this is what he has to do, if it will pay off in the end, then he’ll do it. The problem is, maybe it won’t pay off. Maybe there’s nothing he can do to achieve this dream he’s had since he first saw John Travolta in Grease and thought God I really want to be like him. And that right there is the reason for the forced smiles and blank eyes. It’s the fear that plagues him at night, the reason he hasn’t gotten a peaceful sleep in ages. 

Letting out a sigh that is much too world weary for a twenty year old, Louis attempts to push all the negative thoughts from his mind. Dwelling on things won’t change them. He should know that by now, seeing as though he’s been dealing with all these things basically since he first arrived at NYU. 

He’s in a sort of vulnerable state. One that only comes from the sheer exhaustion he feels deep in his bones. So he really isn’t all that surprised when his mind begins to wander to piercing green eyes. He can actually see them behind his closed eyelids, can remember just how striking and breathtaking he had found them the moment he saw them. The kid – what was his name again? Oh right, Harry. Harry Styles – is far more intriguing to Louis than he should have been. He’s just like any other freshman, wide-eyed and innocent, but Louis saw something else in him from the moment he first saw him. He didn’t appear to be timid in the way all the others were. His nervousness seemed to stem from something else, something deeper. The way he couldn’t even manage to meet Louis’ gaze was the first clue and observing him in the meeting had only reaffirmed his immediate suspicion. Harry Styles is shy. Or maybe shy isn’t the right word exactly, Louis doesn’t know yet. But he certainly intends to find out. 

He is his partner after all. That’s the way he’s going to justify it to himself and to everyone else. He’s only so intrigued by Harry because he has to work with him for the entire semester. He has to get to know the guy well enough to actually create a work of art with him. It has absolutely nothing to do with the way his eyes suddenly lit up when Louis mentioned he’ll be concentrating more on film this year. Or the way introducing himself to a group of people seemed to take every ounce of effort the boy had. And it definitely isn’t because he finds himself wanting to run his fingers through those curls and make an absolute mess of them. No, that would be ridiculous. And counterproductive. A terrible idea. 

Eleanor had asked him about it. After the meeting, when everyone had left and they were collecting their things and putting all the furniture back in its proper place. She had brought it up so casually but Louis saw through that immediately. 

“So,” she had begun, scooting closer to him as she always seemed to do. Louis had learned right away that Eleanor doesn’t understand the concept of personal space. Or at least she doesn’t around him. Liam is always saying that she never gets that close to him when they talk, but Louis tries not to think about it that much. It’s a common theme where Eleanor is concerned. Just push it to the side and don’t think about it. So she had gotten all close to him and had a bright smile on her face, one that only ever seemed to appear when she was fishing for information or attempting to flirt with him. Something told Louis that this time it wasn’t the latter. And ordinarily he’d be thankful for that, but not this time. 

“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes flitting to the door as he wondered if it would be rude to just walk away before she could ask whatever it was she wanted to know. 

“I thought you were going to pair yourself up with another theater major?” 

And there it was. Louis had assumed it was where she was heading, but he was kind of praying he was wrong. But of course not, that would be too convenient for him. And life was nothing if not difficult, at least where he was concerned. 

He busied himself with moving a chair all the way to the corner of the room – and okay, maybe it didn’t exactly go there but who was going to know the difference – as he thought of a way he could spin this to make it seem less suspicious. Not that there was really anything to be suspicious of. Louis was pretty sure Eleanor was completely oblivious to the fact that he didn’t exactly enjoy forcing himself to appear interested whenever she flirted with him (which seemed to be every chance she got). So he wasn’t all that worried that she would think he had ulterior motives, which he didn’t. At all. But still, he had to make sure his response would ensure that the subject was dropped for good. 

“Oh yeah,” he began, keeping his tone light as he walked back over to her. “Well, I figured since I’m focusing more on film this semester it would make sense to pair myself up with a film major. You know, so I can get experience working with someone who wants to be a director. I think we can kind of learn together and that it’ll be a lot more beneficial than just working with another actor. Or at least I’m hoping it will.”

Eleanor stared at him for a long moment before she broke into a grin and nodded her head, placing her hand on Louis’ bicep and giggling lightly. “That’s such a good idea, Lou! I just hope you’ll like your partner. He seems a bit….weird.” 

When he heard her comment on Harry without even having a proper conversation with him, Louis saw red. Sure he didn’t even know the kid himself, and maybe he was getting a little too angry for a simple comment, but it was just so annoying. Why were people always judging others without even knowing them. First impressions weren’t everything, no matter what some people seemed to believe. A lot can lay beneath the surface of a person, Louis is living proof of that. So yeah, Eleanor’s comment bothered him, but only because she was being judgmental and not because she had insulted Harry. Louis doesn’t get personally offended for people he doesn’t even know, so why would he start now?

That was another thing for Louis to be worried about entirely, being Harry’s partner for the entire semester. What he told Eleanor is true. He actually does think the chance to work with a film student will be good for him, will help him develop and grow as an actor. But if he’s being honest with himself (which doesn’t happen much these days if he can help it) he knows that’s not the only reason he had shifted names around on the list so that Harry could be his partner. It’s less about his major and more about the way he had stumbled over his words and one little curl kept falling into his eyes, and those eyes. So yeah, when he takes the time to be honest with himself about the whole thing, Louis knows that he’s absolutely and completely screwed.


End file.
